GM Defense & NP Aerospace Target UK Light Mobility Contract
GM Defence has joined forces with NP Aerospace to secure the UK Ministry of Defence’s Light Mobility Vehicle requirement within the Land Mobility Programme, which aims to replace ageing vehicles through a Common Base Platform and drive fleet modernisation across the British Army. The partners will also pursue similar opportunities among NATO and allied nations, widening the impact of their proposed light mobility solution.
The General Motors subsidiary brings high-volume, commercially proven technology to defence projects, cutting costs and lead times while retaining adaptability. Its bid centres on the Infantry Squad Vehicle and a utility variant, both derived from the robust Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and engineered for rapid deployment and easy customisation.
Field experience underpins the offer: the ISV, packed with commercial-off-the-shelf components, already serves US Army infantry, Special Operations Forces and the Canadian Armed Forces, supporting forward-deployed troops across Europe and North America. GM Defense will include both variants in its submission for the Light Mobility Vehicle programme, highlighting their reliability and commonality.
“Our objective is to deliver the next generation of mobility solutions for the UK with speed, efficiency and enhanced capabilities by leveraging GM’s extensive investments in mobility R&D, product development and manufacturing. This is now coupled with NP Aerospace’s expertise in armour manufacturing, technology integration, vehicle maintenance and support,” said GM Defense President Steve duMont. “Together, we will deliver innovative solutions to the British Army, demonstrating our commitment to provide the best capability to our NATO alliance partners.”
With design and production facilities in Coventry and London, Ontario, NP Aerospace offers local content and tailored engineering for global defence customers. GM Defense will draw on this armour expertise while pursuing the UK Light Mobility Vehicle and Canada’s Light Utility Vehicle and Light Forces Enhancement programmes.
“With decades of experience maintaining and upgrading global vehicle fleets, we are pleased to expand our teaming agreement with GM Defense to introduce new capabilities and innovation to UK and NATO defence markets,” said NP Aerospace CEO James Kempston. “The LMV programme is designed to deliver much-needed fleet modernisation and wider economic growth as part of the Land Industrial Strategy.”
Since 2023, the two companies have cooperated on research, post-production support and worldwide logistics, and they plan to showcase advanced technologies at defence exhibitions later this year. Their collaboration aligns with General Motors’ wider strategy to apply cutting-edge automotive innovation—spanning safety, autonomy and electrification—to both civilian and military mobility.
